The Dangers of Opening an Airplane Door Mid-Flight.

A recent incident on an Asiana Airlines flight in South Korea where a passenger opened the emergency exit door mid-flight has raised questions about airplane safety. According to a pilot, airplane doors are designed to be simple to operate in case of an emergency, but they cannot be opened when the cabin is pressurized due to the high forces acting against the door. However, at lower altitudes, the pressure differential is weaker, making it possible to open the door with some force. Asiana Airlines has stopped the sale of select emergency exit seats on some of its aircraft, but it is unlikely that there will be any physical design changes to airplane doors or emergency exits.